Depleted (Vulnerable) Species

These are the species whose numbers are greatly reduced from those of the recent past, and they are continuing to decrease. It is the continued decrease that is the main cause of concern. Animals in this category can quickly change to a rare or endangered status. The addax (Addax nasomaculatus) of northern Africa is a member of the antelope family. This animal has been so heavily hunted that presently, fewer than 5,000 survive all across their former range. Since 1900, they are no more in Egypt, and they have also been wiped out in Tunisia. It is doubtful whether they exist in Libya and Spanish Sahara, Algeria or Sudan.

Their last stronghold seems to be in Mauritania and Mali, where they are still hunted by nomadic natives, who dry the meat for food. The number of the addax antelope continues to decline. If the population continues to decrease much longer, the species will become extinct. However, if the hunting were stopped today, there would still be enough animals and a habitat extensive enough for the species to survive.